Hiring Great Videographers

Videographers are the unsung heros in local news. You can probably name the main anchors in your city and you would probably recognize the reporters, but most people don't know the videographers by name. They are vital to news, and vital to production of any kind.

With that in mind, I believe it's important to hire the right videographer to cover your events. I teamed up with my business partner, Marcelo Zolessi, to come up with this list. Marcelo shot video for FOX and Univision for years, and knows how to pick the good ones.

Without further ado, here are six ways you know you hired a great videographer.

1. They Get The Key Shots. It sounds obvious, but it's vital. Great videographers talk with the person writing the story ahead of time, so they know what shots they need. If the writer is going to say there was “standing room only” duing an important session—the videographer will have shots of people standing in the back. Great videographers edit in their minds as they shoot. They don’t have to trudge through hours of tape to cover a story that only lasts a minute.

2. They Capture Natural Sound. Great videographers know how important it is to have natural sound of an event. It's not just about the interviews and the pictures, but it's about capturing the sound that is "naturally" happening in the background. Natural sound takes the viewer to the location, and helps tell the story.

3. They Dress Appropriately. Let’s face it, videographers are like artists, and some dress that way: Ripped jeans, t-shirts, “creative” outfits. That might work if they’re shooting a concert, but not for conventions and tradeshows. These events are often the most important week for an association, and your videographers are representing your organization. If your videographer shows up looking a like he/she just got off tour with Metallica, it doesn’t send the right signal to attendees. You know you hired the right videographer when he blends into the crowd but happens to be carrying a camera.

4. They Are Self-Contained. A great videographer has everything they need with them. They shouldn’t have to “run back to the truck” because they forgot some piece of gear. They should be ready to go with mics, batteries, tapes, you name it. An excellent videographer will also have everything they need to troubleshoot like rain gear, extra batteries and duck tape.

5. They Work as Long As It Takes To Get The Job Done. Some videographers turn on the overtime clock as soon as they hit eight hours. While it’s important to establish the general working hours ahead of time, great videographers work until the job is done. That means more than an eight-hour day in the convention industry, and it means not asking when they’ll get a break. While everyone deserves a good meal, great videographers will fit it in when it’s appropriate. They won’t expect to take a lunch break during a keynote speech or an important education session.

6. They Have A Great Demo Reel. Always ask to see a demo, and specify that you would like to see something the videographer actually shot. That may sound strange, but its common for a novice to show you something they edited but did not shoot. The reality is that quality shots are much easier to edit together than to capture. It’s worth asking if they shot the video on their demo.